My Set Visit Of The Rookie ABC : Behind The Scenes With The Cast and Crew

On my recent visit to Los Angeles for the Ralph Breaks the Internet World Premiere, I had the blessing and opportunity to visit the Warner Brothers Studio and tour the set of The Rookie, take exclusive photos of the set, and even get a few selfies and pics with the cast and crew!

Do you watch “The Rookie”? It airs Tuesdays at 10|9c on The ABC Television Network and is also available streaming (ABC app/ABC.com/Hulu) and on demand, so you can watch it today!

When we went into the set of The Rookie, we were enthusiastically greeted by Melissa O’Neil, who plays “Lucy Chen.” She seemed to be very excited that we were “the bloggers!” and even let out a “YAY!” – totally my kind of girl!

Melissa O’Neil is an award-winning Canadian actress and platinum-selling recording artist. A fun fact about her is that at only 16, she was the youngest and first female winner of “Canadian Idol.”

Titus Makin, who plays Jackson West, was with her, too, and we saw him briefly. As a mom of girls, I know him from his leading role in the TV movie “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song.” You know it’s real like that!

We sat in front of the monitors and geared up with headphones to watch and listen as an episode scene was being filmed. I thought it was a total God wink that I ended up sitting in the Writer’s chair, so my friend had to document it for me.

Based on my experience in tapings and set visits, I’d say that some scenes are very tricky to film and this particular one went pretty smoothly. The episode won’t air for a few weeks, so I can’t tell you much about it and you’ll have to trust me on this.

When you walk in the dark warehouse where the set is located, you are greeted by piles of chairs, ladders, wires, plywood, lights, rope, unfinished flooring, and rule number one of being in a live set is staying absolutely quiet.

Not giggling became extremely difficult for us when we saw Nathan Fillion, who plays “John Nolan.” We thought he wouldn’t be on set that day, so this surprise had us squealing with great delight.

Nathan Fillion is kind of a big deal! I mean, he was brilliant in the television series “Castle,” and won seven People’s Choice Awards for the role of Richard. And who can forget “Caleb” in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (The WB)? Fillion’s television credits include roles on “Modern Family,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Desperate Housewives.”

It’s so fun to see how television shows are made. Every time I visit a live TV set, I am in shock because of all the effort and attention to detail it takes for a scene to come to life. The Rookie takes place in a Los Angeles Police station.

Small-town John Nolan decides to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer in the Los Angeles police department, after a life-altering experience.

Being now in my 40’s and having had to start over a few times and been subject to skepticism in my new endeavors, I can relate to the plot, and I think you’ll find that the show speaks to the rookie in each of us in a mysterious, yet entertaining and interesting kind of way.

I love that The Rookie proves that when you use your intuition, your life experience, your determination, and your sense of humor, it can give you an edge in everything you do.

I am excited to watch Nathan Fillion as John Nolan and how he may just become a success in this new chapter of his life and as he finds a new calling.

After seeing the cast of The Rookie in action, it was time to tour the actual places where the magic happens.

Mercedes Mason, who plays “Captain Zoe Andersen,” was our tour guide on the set of The Rookie. It was her day off and she was stunning, as usual, funny and sweet during our mini set tour and meet and greets. She’s a new mom and I heard from my other friends that she is quite the prankster!

Mercedes Mason has a prolific television career, having appeared in critically acclaimed shows including “Entourage,” “The Closer” and “Traffic Light,” as well as a recurring role in the fan favorite “Chuck,” amongst others.

We divided into groups and, as we walked around, we bumped the actors and film crew, as well as some of the extras that we were part of the episode they were taping.

The police station was so realistic: a boardroom, holding cells, portraits, televisions, and items on desks, signs on the walls, and all kinds of documents and gadgets.

Who knew there was an acronym for PATROL? 

And so many rules and “commands”…

I wanted to take more photos and take it all in, but every minute counts when you’re on the set and sometimes it’s so rushed it’s all a blur. 

This particular set visit happened so fast and though things didn’t happen as planned, they happened exactly as appointed. Motherhood has taught me to deal well with the unpredictable. 

One of the funniest moments on The Rookie set was taking a selfie with Richard T. Jones, who plays “Sergeant Wade Grey.” He was right in front of me and I was saying hi to him, but he couldn’t see me at all. He is super tall and I was wearing flats, so everyone got a real laugh out of this one!

I recognized Richard T. Jones from his roles in Gary Fleder’s “Kiss the Girls,” Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married?,” “Why Did I Get Married Too?,” Pete Travis’ “Vantage Point,” J.J. Abrams’ “Super 8,” Gareth Edwards’ “Godzilla,” and many more, as well as his extensive television credits. His character on The Rookie plays no games!

Afton Williamson, who plays “Talia Bishop” is the selfie queen. She’s even more gorgeous in person and so friendly! We were waiting for our turn to tour the set and she just approached us and asked if we wanted pics. Seriously the best!

Afton Williamson’s previous television credits include VH1’s “The Breaks,” HBO’s “The Night Of,” Cinemax’s “Banshee,” Showtime’s “Homeland” and NBC’s “Shades of Blue.”

It was surreal to get a group photo with The Rookie stars Nathan Fillion, Afton Williamson, Richard T. Jones, and the lovely Mercedes Mason, between filming scenes. The diversity in the show is inspiring, and I particularly love that Alyssa Diaz plays “Angela Lopez – representing all Latinas!

I hope you tune into tonight’s episode of this wonderful ABC crime drama. It’s titled “The Hawke,” and it was written by Fredrick Kotto and directed by Timothy Busfield.

In “The Hawke,” the team helps capture a cop and his former mentor from the academy after he becomes a fugitive following an assault. Meanwhile, Officer Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) needs Officer Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) to learn to predict the moves of criminals in order to capture them. 

Guest starring in “The Hawke” is Danny Nucci as Detective Sanford Motta, Ryan Michelle Bathe as Detective Jennifer Paige and Shawn Christian as Jeremy Hawke.

Remember that ABC’s new fall drama, “The Rookie,” airs Tuesdays at 10|9c on The ABC Television Network and is also available streaming (ABC app/ABC.com/Hulu) and on demand.

Alexi Hawley is writer and executive producer; Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman and Jon Steinberg are executive producers on the series. Liz Friedlander directed and executive produced “Pilot.” Entertainment One (eOne) is the lead studio on “The Rookie,” a co-production with ABC Studios.

Be sure to join the conversation on social with #ABCTVEvent and #TheRookie and to follow The Rookie on Facebook: @TheRookieABC, on Twitter: @TheRookie and on Instagram: @therookieabc.